History Lesson
by Fun-Sized Kirk
Summary: Rosie Mellark is sixteen years old and will finally be able to watch the 74th Hunger Games in which her very own parents stared in. She will see the things that have haunted her parent's dreams for decades. Major spoilers for the series. Mini-fic
1. Permission

**Hello readers!**

**Ever since I've finished the Hunger Games series, I've wondered what it would be like for Katniss's daughter to watch her Hunger Games in school and I've finally decided to write it.**

**I'd like to thank my lovely editor The Infinite Dani-Chan Replika for her help with this.**

**This is part one of two, enjoy! :D**

* * *

Rosie took a deep breath as she stared at her mother's back from behind a corner. She was nervous to say the very least and she knew that her mother had been in one of her odd moods as of late. This was not going to be easy but then again, her morbid curiosity had been dying to know what had happened all those years ago. But really, what child wouldn't like to know how their parents got together? It wasn't her fault that her parents met in the weirdest and most horrible circumstances ever.

To everyone else in the country of Panem, her parents were the two who had sparked the rebellion against the Capitol and who had brought the country to peace at last. But to Rosie, they were just plain old mom and dad.

In the schools of District 12, and in the schools in all of the other districts across Panem, children had learned about what used to be the norm not to long ago. How every year, children from each district would be sent to their deaths, allowing only one to survive. This used to be called the Hunger Games and it was supposed to be a punishment to what had happened over one-hundred years ago.

Rosie had no idea how anyone could deal with this idea but then realized that people actually couldn't and that was why her parents were now living legends for forever more. It was because of them, with their accidental spark, that everything had changed.

And now that she was sixteen, she would be allowed to view the said spark and the most famous Hunger Games ever. All she would have to do was to get her parent's permission, a battle on its own.

Maybe if her mother had even mentioned more than a few things from her own experience in the game, this would be easier. Maybe if her mother wasn't caught between one of her weird moments of almost crippling depression, which was caused mostly because of what the games had done to her, maybe this would be simple.

But her mother did not like to talk about what had happened and who she had met and lost during the games. And her mother was caught right in the middle of her moments of depression where little could be done to help her.

_Why did dad have to pick this week to be out of the District?_ Rosie asked herself as she thought of how much easier it would be to ask her father directly for the permission to watch their Games instead of her mother.

Her father would probably be a little upset with the idea but would sign it without much of a fight because he knew that it would be important for educational purpose. Every child in Panem had already learned the basics of what had happened in the Hunger Games but watching the real thing, watching innocent children being murdered without another thought, would be a completely different thing.

Right now, her father and younger brother were out on a father-son trip in District one for an artist convention. Her father was something of an artist and her younger brother had quite the knack for it as well. Rosie, however, did not have the patience to paint and often got annoyed when her attempts were over shown by her brother's.

Rosie took a deep breath and let it out forcefully. She had to do this. Everyone else in the class would probably see it and hundreds of other kids across the nation had already seen it. She needed to. They were her parents.

As she forced herself to move towards her mother, she saw what was holding her mother's attention. Sitting in front of her, on the old wooden table, was the large leather-bond book that held pictures of hundreds of people's faces. People who her parents knew and who had died, people who were still alive, people Rosie had met and who she never would be able to.

Stealing herself, Rosie reached out a tentative hand to tap on her mother's shoulder. This caused her to jump in her seat and turn to face her with such a hard expression, it almost hurt Rosie. She knew this was another side-effect of the games her mother had contracted, the inability to ever fully leave your guard down. After a fraction of a second had passed, her mother's hard, grey eyes softened and a small smile was forced onto her expression.

"Mom?" Rosie asked in hesitation.

"What is it, Rosie?" Katniss asked, trying her best to sound fine when in all reality she just wanted to curl up and cry.

Katniss Mellark's face was looking pale and slightly lined with age but her grey eyes still stood out as much as they had done in her prime and her black hair was still pulled back in her customary braid. She smiled a little more genially to her daughter before she patted the seat next to her at the table. Rosie smiled back at her before she sat in the seat, hiding the permission slip in between her hands as well as she could.

Katniss quickly closed the leather book but not before Rosie could see what she was looking at. It was the picture, painted by her father, of her namesake. Her aunt that she would never meet because she had been killed during the end of the rebellion when she was only thirteen, Primrose Everdeen. She knew that her mother had been extremely close to her younger sister and that she had even risked her life for her by volunteering for the Hunger Games to save her. Katniss shoved the book away with the back of her hand before turning to look at her daughter.

"What's the matter?" Katniss asked quietly.

"Um, I need you to sign something," she said in a voice just above a whisper. "For school."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

Hesitantly, Rosie brought the slip of paper up to the table and handed it to her mother. Her grey eyes quickly scanned the paper, no emotion registering on her face.

"We're going to watch the Hunger Games," Rosie said once the silence had gotten too thick for her own liking. "…you and dad's Game."

Katniss nodded but continued to stare at the sheet of paper for another minute before she blindly reached for a pen that was sitting a few feet away from her and began to sign the slip. After she let out a small sigh and muttered something Rosie could not understand, Katniss handed the slip back to her without giving her another glance.

Rosie said a small thanks before she quickly got up from her seat and all but ran to her room. Once she was safely behind her door, she looked down at the slip of white paper and saw her mother's signature and that she had checked the small box allowing their child to watch the game.

Rosie let out a shaky sigh before she set the paper on her nightstand and curled under the blankets.

* * *

The next morning, Rosie woke up just as the bright spring sun was beginning to shine thought her bedroom window. She quickly got showered, dressed and was down stairs before her mother was ever done with making breakfast.

"Well you're up early," Katniss said as she stirred something in a pot on the stove.

"Yeah, I wanted to go run over to Lila's house before school," Rosie said as she sat down at the table. "She was having some trouble with some homework and I promised I'd help her."

"And you didn't think this would have been easier to do say, after school?" Katniss asked over her shoulder but Rosie saw a small smile playing on her lips and new that she wasn't in trouble.

"She had to go work at the Apothecary store all night yesterday," Rosie made up quickly.

Her best friend Lila worked at one of the many apothecary stores around District Twelve but she did not have to work last night. Rosie had spent most of her night hiding from her mother as she tried to find the words to ask her mother for permission. And really, Lila didn't need help with homework anyways. One of the skills Rosie had inherited from her father was the ability to lie right to someone's face.

After a hasty breakfast of warm oatmeal and fruit, Rosie ran up to her room and grabbed her bag filled with school things, along with the very important permission slip.

"See you later Mom," she said as she gave her mom a small wave from the front door and ran out into the morning.

A few people were up and awake this early but many of the inhabitants of District Twelve were either still asleep in their beds or were still getting ready for the day.

As she passed by the identical houses that surrounded her own, she remembered that where she lived used to be called Victors Village, the place were victors would live after they survived the horrors of the Hunger Games. The area was still called this by a few people in the District. They were the oldest houses in the entire District, mainly because about thirty years ago, the entire district had been destroyed.

Just as she was about to pass out of Victors Village, she spotted someone that caught her eyes attention. Wondering around the lawns was an elderly man of about seventy, drunkenly swaying about as he tried to make it back to his house.

"Haymitch," Rosie sighed before she made her way over to the stumbling, elderly man. "Haymitch!" she called again once she got closer to him.

Haymitch jumped at the noise and nearly knocked Rosie to the ground when he swung his half-empty liquor bottle around.

"Watch where you're swinging that thing!" Rosie cried, covering her head with an arm while she reached out with the other to block him again.

"Whoa," Haymitch mumbled as she stared at Rosie. "It's like a blast from the past! You know you look just like your dear old mom."

"Thanks," Rosie said as she decided she was no longer under the threat of being hit.

"Hate 'er," he grunted as he took another swig from the bottle.

"That's nice," Rosie sighed as she tried to wrestle the bottle from his grubby hands. "Haymitch, you have to get home."

"I'm gettin' there, I'm gettin' there."

"Let me help you," she said kindly, griping one of his arms.

"I can do it myself," he said as he lost his footing on a stray pebble and landed on his bottom.

"Haymitch!" she cried, thinking of how old he was and how hard he seemed to hit the cobblestone path.

But he simply fell onto his back and began to laugh loudly and drunkenly. When she would grip onto his arms to try and pull him up, he would tug them out of her grip and let them fall onto the ground. Just as Rosie was about to give up on the task, she heard her mother's voice behind her.

"Let him be, Rosie," Katniss said with an annoyed sigh. "You go. I'll take care of the drunk."

"Okay mom," Rosie said with a nod as she secured her backpack. "Just be careful. He's not as young as he used to be."

Katniss shrugged before giving her a small smile and telling her to go.

Rosie quickly picked up her pace and made her way over to Lila's house. Her friend lived near the opposite side of the town square, where most of the shops were. Rosie cut through a number of back streets and though people's lawns until she reached the house. Before she could reach the door, her friend burst from the front door and ran towards her.

Rosie put on her most cocky smile she could muster and pulled out the signed permission slip from her pocket. Just as Lila came within a few feet, Rosie put the slip of paper up in the air and waved it around victoriously.

"I got it!" she cried. "My mom signed it!"

Lila stopped in her tracks, eyebrows raised, looking utterly surprised.

"Really?" she asked in astonishment, "how'd you manage that?"

"I have no idea," Rosie said honestly. "I thought she'd be mad or something but she just signed it and didn't really say anything. It was really weird."

"Maybe she didn't want to talk about it," Lila said as she fastened her pink jacket around her.

The two girls then began to walk towards the large school about a half a mile away.

Lila Terris was a thin, average height sixteen-year old girl. She had short, curly, caramel-colored hair with blue-green eyes. Her parents were one of the many people to move to District Twelve after the end of the war. Lila and Rosie had been best friends ever since they were toddlers.

"Cadence isn't going to believe you actually got that signed," Lila sighed after a moment of silence.

"And why not?" Rosie asked with a small pout.

"Well first of all, any kid in your position would have trouble asking their parents. But add in the fact that you're well, _you _and you've got a whole other problem to deal with."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean that you're not the bravest kid, Rose," Lila said with a small sigh and a sympathetic smile.

"I am _so_ brave!"

"Not really," Lila snorted. "I mean, sure, you're not a little cry baby but I wouldn't peg you as the daughter of two of the bravest people in the country."

Rosie glared at her friend before picking up and leaving her friend in the dust.

"Rosie! I'm sorry!" Lila cried as she tried to keep up with her. "That's just the way it is!"

They arrived at their other friend Cadence's house ten minutes later. The other sixteen-year-old sat on her front pouch, looking glum, and messing with one of her tiny pet dogs.

"Cade!" Lila yelled as they came closer to the house.

Rosie could visibly see the girl sigh in relief before she stood up, grabbed her bag, and hopped over the small wooden fence that surrounded her tiny house with her long thin legs.

"I thought you guys would never get here," Cadence said as she leaned against the fence.

"What do you mean? We still have like, a half and hour until school starts," Rosie said, looking at the watch that was strapped to her thin wrist.

"Well I've been so bored is all and I've been up since three in the morning," Cadence said as she fell in step with the two girls.

Cadence Willows was tall with long, pin straight, pale blond hair with grey eyes. Her mother had been one of the few people who had survived the extermination of the old District Twelve. The three of them had all been friends since their first day of school.

"So," Cadence said with a small smile. "Did little Miss Primrose get the guts to ask mommy for permission?"

"Yes I did actually," Rosie said, still feeling annoyed from Lila's comment. "She signed it without a fight."

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

For the rest of the trip to the school, the girls dropped the conversation relating to permission slips or the Hunger Games and simply talked about homework and work. Well, except for Rosie. She didn't need to work, something she always felt a little weird about. Both of her parents had been given large amounts of money when they won the games and even now, her father made plenty of money with his artwork. Sometimes she felt out of the loop when her two closets friends talked of how horrible it all was.

The large grey school began to rise up in front of them and soon, they were crossing the busy school yard that was filled with children of all ages as they played on pieces of equipment or with each other. The three teenagers quickly walked into the building and talked quietly until they had reached their classroom.

There was a large crowd gathering around the door as they waited for the teacher. Many of the boys came early because they claimed they wanted a good seat. This made Rosie's blood boil. She knew that none of them really thought this but if one of the boys didn't try and get a good seat, they would appear to be a coward and be ridiculed later for it.

At the sight of Rosie appearing, a few of the teens began to point openly at her. It had been this way since there was the announcement that every sophomore class would be watching the Hunger Games a week ago. Many boys poked fun at her and a couple of the girls would talk loudly about her parents while she was close by. Rosie didn't know why they did this. It wasn't like this hadn't been common knowledge since they were born. Everyone in town had seen her mother and father several times a week. Now all of a sudden, the kids acted as if she was a stranger who had done something wrong.

"Hey Rosie!" called one of the large boys. "Did you mommy sign you permission slip?"

"Ignore them," Lila whispered.

When the teacher finally arrived, Rosie quickly handed him her signed slip before he opened the door. They were supposed to have the slips in yesterday but Rosie hadn't been able to pluck up the courage before. Her teacher had understood this and said that as long as she had the slip before they watched the tape, it'd be alright.

There was a mad rush of people who ran to get a good seat. There were also a cluster of kids who rushed to get a seat in the back and far away as possible from the screen. Rosie and her friends found three seats in the back and waited for the bell to ring that signified the start of class.

"Now, I'd like to say a few rules before we begin, is that understood?" asked the teacher. There was a general muttered of agreement but a few of the obnoxious boys cried for them to get on with the show.

"I can throw you out of the class Horace," warned the teacher with a glare. "Now, if at any time during the film you feel sick or need some air, you are welcome to leave the class for a few minutes. If you feel you cannot handle this, you may tell me so and you can go to the empty class next door and work on some worksheets. Is that understood?"

Again, there was the general garbled mumble of agreement before the teacher flipped off the lights and began to run the television set.

Rosie forced herself to calm down as her heart began to pound against her ribs. It was easier for her to show her uneasiness in the darkness. Suddenly, a hand reached out and gripped her tightly clenched hand. Cadence had grabbed it.

"It'll be okay Rose," she said with a reassuring smile.

She nodded with her eyes closed. There was the playing of the old Panem anthem and when Rosie opened her eyes, the reaping had begun.

* * *

**Part two will be out soon. ****I hope you liked the first part.**

**I love Haymitch! He's my favorite character. :) Had to put him in here.**

**Please send me a review!**

**-FSK**


	2. Let the Games Begin

**Hello everyone!**

**So before I get to talking about the story, I'd like to give a rather large shout out to my lovely editor, who's birthday is today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANI! :D Thanks so much for all of the work that you've helped me with; you're awesome!**

**Well then, I'd love to thank everyone who seems to be in love with this little story. :) And I'd also like to mention that this will be changed to either a three-part or a four-part story. I'm sure everyone's so upset about it. *sarcasm***

**Here's chapter two and I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Rosie watched as name after name was called for each district and how the children, who were walking into certain death, reacted. It was hard to believe that people actually volunteered for this. Sure, she could understand how her mother had done it for her sister but these people, Rosie thought they were once called Careers, wished to go into the arena so that they could win. It was simply insane.

Her nerves increased with every district called. When they reached District Eleven, Rosie's stomach began to twist. She had seen the small girl's picture in the leather-bond book at home but seeing her alive and moving was something different. And then, before she could prepare herself, the video went to District Twelve's reaping ceremony.

She knew that everyone's eyes were switching between the bright television screen and her face. Rosie did her best to ignore them all but felt her cheeks heat up anyways.

"_Primrose Everdeen_," called the odd women on the screen.

Rosie watched intensely as she watched her young aunt take shaky steps towards the stage. She looked so much younger than what her father had painted her in the book, even though she had just died a little more than a year after this. And then-

"_Prim_!"

The camera focused on a girl rushing through the crowds and then there was her mother, gasping and shielding her sister as she volunteered herself. Prim continued to cry and wail but was scooped up by a young boy who seemed to urge her mother onto the stage. The camera then zoomed in close on her mother's young face, taking Rosie back a bit. Haymitch was right; she did resemble her mother quit a bit, except for the eyes. Rosie could see in her eyes that she wanted to cry but refused to. And then, there was her father looking just as young and scared as her mother.

The announcers babbled on for a moment, giving Rosie a moment to gather her thoughts and emotions. She knew that people would continue to stare at her as they watched it and knew she had to learn to block them all out.

The opening ceremonies began and they all watched as children were dressed in ridiculous costume after ridiculous costume. Once they reached her parents, she was surprised to see how her mother was acting. She was so lively and bubbly and happy. People cheered her parents name and district as there costumes commanded the show.

The video then goes to the training scores received during the training secessions. Some people are surprised when they see that her mother had received and eleven but Rosie had always known this.

After the scores are shown, the interviews are shown. Each victor gets a small clip of their interview shown but the two victors have all of their speech shown. Rosie is surprised to see her mother acting so -there was no other word for it- _ditzy_. It must have been some part of an act. And then her father came to the stage and proclaimed his love for her mother. An outbreak of immature giggles and girls' fawning broke out after this and the teacher had to tell them to quiet down.

_Here it comes_, Rosie thought after her father was done with his interview. She knew that they would be sent into the arena any moment now.

But the teacher flipped on the lights and paused the tape before anything else could happen, much to the class's annoyance.

"Oh, stop," he said to the moans and groans of the peanut gallery. "I would just like to remind you all that at this point, things can get rather graphic, so be prepared."

He then turned the lights off again and un-paused the video. They all watched from the view of a random tribute as he slid up the tube and landed on the arena. All twenty-four of the tributes are standing in a circle around the Cornucopia, a large metal structure that holds supplies that may be needed.

The camera zooms in on Katniss and then shows the different surroundings of the arena. To one end, there is nothing but hard ground that slopes significantly. To the right is a large, clear lake and then behind Katniss is a large forest. An areal shot shows that it goes on for miles and miles.

The gong goes off and the tributes take off running, some towards the cornucopia while others try and get out as soon as possible. Rosie can see the indecision on her mother's young face as she hesitates before running towards the Cornucopia. She grabs anything within reach and just as she reaches for a bright orange pack, another boy grabs it as well. Rosie's heart continued to pound faster and harder with every minute spent watching it. She loudly exhales a large breath of relief once her mother finally flees the bloodbath and makes it to the forest.

"Are you gonna be alright?" Lila asked as quietly as she could, noticing how pale her friend was looking.

Rosie pressed the lips firmly together but nodded at her friend. She did not want to appear weak to her classmates who were sure to comment if she could not handle the video.

The camera continued to show the bloodbath as child after child was slain. Everyone in the class seemed to be bent on staying for the entire showing but a few of the more squeamish girls in the class put there heads on the desks to help block out the Game.

_Well at least I'm not the only one having trouble dealing with this_, Rosie thought as she watched another girl's head fall to her desk.

Eventually, the carnage stops and the camera pans to several different tributes as they listen to the cannon fires that signify each tribute who has died. There are eleven. Eleven innocent people have died in what must have been only an hour or two. Rosie can't quite wrap her mind around it.

The video continues to show clips of each of the surviving tributes as they try to assimilate to the environment. Rosie sees much of her mother during this time and feels a pang of worry when she begins to look exhausted.

_Relax,_ she tells herself. _She's going to be fine. You know this. Whatever happens she'll be just fine in the end._

The Career pack is formed quickly and it is a shock to everyone in the room when Peeta has joined the group. They set up camp near the lake.

Soon, twilight falls and the faces of the dead are shown on the screen as they would have been seen in the night sky. Everything in the arena seems calm and quiet until the camera zooms in one a girl who has started a fire and then the camera zooms in on Katniss who is lying in his sleeping bag only a few feet away.

Rosie wants to put her head down on her desk for the suspense is killing her. She thought she could deal with this since she knew the final outcome but it turns out, it's a rather small comfort.

Near the end of the first night, chaos begins. A pack of Careers follow the fire and find the girl and attack. The camera pans back to Katniss, who's still lying a few feet away, and then back to the Careers who are celebrating their kill. When they do not hear a cannon fire, they begin to realize the girl may not be alive and it is then does Katniss realize that Peeta has joined the Careers.

The morning and afternoon is relatively quiet as they pan around to the reaming tributes, showing the Career pack and Katniss the most. It almost feels like torture to watch her mother as she struggles to keep moving on in search of water. She didn't know how anyone would be able to watch this at all. Finally, she finds water, rehydrates, eats, and sets up a camp. Rosie feels like she's able to breathe a sigh of relief, but it's cut short when the tape fast forwards to the night and a wall of fire is shown descending on her mother.

Rosie has to shove her fist into her mouth to keep herself from yelling out to her mother who cannot hear her. She quickly looks around and notices that no one has seemed to see her do this, not even Lila or Cadence who are too caught up in the tape to notice anything else. Everyone watches with rapt attention as she runs as fast as she can away from the wall of flames. Several people gasp when balls of fire begin to fire at her and Rosie has to cover her mouth to conceal a small shriek when her mother is hit by one of the balls of fire.

Rosie panics at the sight and puts her head down for a moment to hide from the scene. She doesn't pick up her head again for several more minutes by which time Katniss has found a pool of water and is treating her wounds in it. Soon, the Careers are on her and she must climb a tree to escape them. Some of the careers try to follow but are unable to climb to the higher branches like Katniss can.

Everyone seems to expect a fight to break out but when Katniss seems to initiate the odd small talk, it appears clear to everyone in the class that nothing will happen right now.

And they are right. After the boy from District Two, Cato, fails to reach her and the girl from District One, Glimmer, fails to hit her with an arrow, the Careers regroup and make camp for the night.

The camera zooms in on the small girl from District Eleven, who is in the tree next to Katniss's, before they zoom in on Katniss and then the large tracker jacker nest. Katniss is then shown climbing up to the nest with the small knife in hand as the anthem plays. As she's most of the way done, she's forced to stop and goes back to her lower branch only to find a gift. In it is burn medicine that she applies to her burns before she goes to sleep.

Like before, the tape fast forwards to the early morning when Katniss climbs back to the nest to cut it down. Before doing so, she calls out Rue's name and warns her of what she's doing. Rosie is surprised to see this, knowing that the two eventually become allies but to see this sign on worry even before they had made it official is something else.

Rosie is unable to block a small gasp when her mother is attacked by a tracker jacker but cannot force herself to look away once the nest falls and they attack the Careers down below. Two more tracker jackers attacker Katniss but down on the ground, there is pure mayhem as they swarm on two of the Career girls and they go completely mad.

The camera switches between showing as the Careers try to hide from them in the water and Katniss as she's slowly descending the tree. The camera then shows as Katniss wonders around unsteadily clearly lost under the effects of the venom. She eventually retrieves the bow and arrows from Glimmer's grasp before Peeta appears in the forest. The two stare at each other for a moment, Katniss ready to fire while Peeta continues to look shocked.

"_What are you still doing here_?" he hisses. "_Are you mad? Get up! Get up_!"

He continues to force Katniss up and eventually shoves her towards the thick forest.

"_Run! Run_!"

Cato appears from behind Peeta with his deadly sword in hand. The camera again switches between Katniss as she stumbles and crashes through the forest, obviously still under the effects of the tracker venom, and Peeta and Cato. The fight between them is brief but when it ends, Peeta is wounded badly in the upper thigh and is bleeding heavily onto the forest floor. Cato leaves him with a horrid laugh.

The camera watches as Peeta continues to lie on the ground as he tries to staunch the thick flow of blood. Rosie begins to pale as much as Peeta is as she watches her father bleed to death. As he slowly pulls himself away from the forest and towards a river bank, Rosie admits to herself that this is truly torture.

She is helpless as she watches as he falls into the muddy bank, panting, sweating, and bleeding profusely. Rosie cannot take the noises of pain and agony he is making and covers her ears tightly with her hands and hides her face on her desk. She does not care anymore if she is seen as brave or not; this is something no child should be able to take easily. Seeing their parents bleed to death and almost die repeatedly, it's just too much.

Rosie's almost close to tears of joy when the teacher stops the video and declares it's time for their lunch period. She can't get out of the classroom fast enough.

* * *

Rosie got her lunch as fast as she could and sat down at their usual table. She was not hungry though, she had lost her appetite completely during the video and her stomach was swirling with nausea. Lila and Cadence came to sit with her a few minutes after she had arrived. Both looked extremely worried for their friend but before they could say a word, Rosie put on the biggest smile she could and begun to dig into the food that did nothing to help her foul mood.

"Are you going to be okay?" Lila asked quietly after a few minutes of silence passed between the three girls.

Rosie nodded slowly as she poked at the remains of her food. Honestly, she had no idea if she would be able to make it through the rest of the day and tomorrow. She just barely made it though the morning.

"I'll be fine," she said quietly, not convincing anyone in the least.

"If you can't, no one will blame you," Cadence said gently. "I mean, this is freaking hard on _me_. I cannot imagine what it's like for you."

"Well it's not a picnic," Rosie sighed as she pushed away her food, unable to look at it any longer. "But it's just something that I feel I have to do. I can't quit."

Lila and Cadence exchanged worried glances before they tried to steer the conversation away from the Hunger Games.

* * *

Once lunch was finished, many of the kids rushed back to their class but a few of the kids who had been more eager in the morning, now hung back and took their time getting back to the class.

The teacher reminded the students of what he had said in the morning but no one seemed to want to be the first kid to drop out. He starts the tape where they left off and everyone holds their breath in anticipation.

A day quickly passes with little incident. The camera shows the Careers getting back to their camp and trying to rid themselves of the tracker jacker poison, Peeta lying in a muddy bank, dying, and Katniss as she continues to lie helpless in her shallow ditch while she's stuck in an endless nightmare. This continues for another day, during which they pan around to the other tributes who are either doing well with what they have or are struggling to survive.

Rosie keeps waiting and waiting for something to happen to her mother, who seems like she'll never wake from whatever horrific nightmare she's trapped in. But eventually, she does wake up, giving Rosie a chance to breathe again.

With a bow and a sheath filled with arrows, Katniss's life in the arena greatly improves. She kills animals for food and makes her way to a small stream where she treats her wounds and makes a meal. It is then that she finally notices that little Rue has been following her.

"_You know, they're not the only ones who can form alliances_," she says out loud, knowing that Rue is hiding behind a tree.

When she appears, she is surprised by this but she agrees anyways. Together they eat and heal each other. They trade food and supplies and share information of their homes. Rosie is surprised that they're showing this exchange of cultural information but then thinks that this tape may have been remade after the war because this could never have happened before.

They huddle down for the night and it is then that Katniss comes up with the initial idea of taking out the Careers food.

A canon firing starts off the next day. As they plan of their attack, they learn more of each other and it only makes Rosie feel worse. Because she knows that this poor girl will be dead in a matter of days, if that, and she hates how much she's wishing she could have met her.

Eventually, they split up and go on their separate ways for their plan. The camera follows Rue for a little as she makes her way to the designated spot but the camera goes back to Katniss once she reaches the Careers camp. When the smoke from the first fire goes off, the Careers run off to find whoever set it.

All of a sudden, a red-haired girl appears from the woods and walks towards the pyramid of supplies. After a moment of inspection, the red-haired girl does a series of odd hops and skips until she's reached the supplies. She stocks up on a few things, not enough to alert the Careers of theft, before she repeats the trick and vanishes. This infuriates Katniss until a sudden realization comes to her face.

"_It's mined_," she whispers.

There are several moments of silence where Katniss is in deep thought as she decided what to do. The camera pans to an areal shot of Rue's second fire. Katniss knows she's running out of time and suddenly focuses on a bag of apples that are hanging by a rope.

She readies her arrows and it takes one… two… three times for the apples to fall to the ground and when they do, they set off an explosion that makes everyone in the class jump in their seats.

Katniss is thrown backwards and after a few minutes, tries and fails to run away. She touches one of her ears and comes back with a bloody hand, panic is clearly written on her face. She then dizzily crawls away into a group of thick bushes and is safely hidden by the time the Careers come back.

Cato is in a state of rage that is almost comical to watch. Almost. Almost because when his insane tantrum ends, he snaps the neck of the small boy from District Three for doing his job just a little too well. The other Careers try to calm him down by telling him that whoever set off the explosion is probably dead.

During the night, they show the face of the dead tribute on the screen and the camera pans to the remaining victors for a few moments. When Katniss wakes, she finds the Careers are gone and fleas the area.

This makes Rosie feel a little better now that her mother is out of the direct line of the Careers; she had been chewing on her nails the entire time. After she feeds and waters herself, she goes off in search of Rue.

As she's walking through the woods, she hears the little tune that Rue had taught Katniss, which meant that she was alright. Relief seems to flood her face immediately but is runs out of her just as fast when she hears a small child's scream. Rue's scream.

"_Katniss! Katniss_!" Rue cries.

"_Rue_!" Katniss calls back as she run towards her screams. "_Rue, I'm coming_!"

Finally, she finds her, tangled up in a net. Katniss opens her mouth, maybe to say something, just as Rue's tiny hand reaches out of the net towards her and a large spear enters her body.

* * *

**Decided to end it here. I thought about ending it after Rue's death but decided against it. More of a cliffhanger (even though it's not really...)**

**But, I hope you all review again and I'd like to say another Happy B-Day to my friend Dani. :)**

**See ya all later!**

**-FSK**


	3. A Heavy Conscious

**Hello's everybody! :)**

**Sorry for the delay on this chapter... I has been rather busy. :| But here's chapter three! **

**I know last chapter wasn't all the interesting but most of this chapter won't just be a summary of what happened. **

**I'd like to thank my awesome editor Dani for her help on this chapter. My stories would definitly have many, many more mistakes without her help.**

**So, I hope you all like it!**

* * *

Tiny gasps were heard around the room as Katniss shot an arrow through the boy's neck in less than an instant. Rosie wanted to bury her head in her hands but felt paralyzed by some horrible force. Her eyes couldn't seem to move away from the screen as Katniss did her best to comfort the small girl as she slowly died.

"_Sing_," Rue cried quietly.

Rosie felt something twist inside her as she heard the first cracking notes of the lullaby but then began to feel something that counters the pain: warmth. Warmth, because she hardly had any memory of her mother singing and it did make her feel better. Rosie had the faint memory of hearing her mother serenade her brother when he was a baby. Her mother probably sang to her when she was a baby, but she couldn't remember.

"_Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true. Here is the place where I love you_."

There's hardly a dry eye in the room. Several of the girls have broken out into fits of quiet tears and a few stubborn boys look down at their desks to avoid seeing any emotion in their eyes.

Rosie turned to see Lila wiping the corners of her eyes and saw that Cadence had tears sparkling in her eyes. Rosie felt as if she should be the one crying but for some reason, she felt too numb to cry. She could feel the odd constriction in her throat that happens every time before she cries but her eyes felt oddly dry.

Everyone watched in rapt attention as Katniss adorns Rue's tiny body with colorful flowers. It is this scene of gentle care that sparks the tears in Rosie's eyes and as Katniss gives her final goodbye, Rosie feels one tear roll down her cheek. She doesn't wipe it away but chooses instead to keep it there.

Everyone was slightly surprised when Katniss is given the gift of the bread from District Eleven; they had learned that no district had ever sent a gift to a tribute that wasn't their own.

The tape fast-forwards over a calm day and ends on the next evening when the anthem plays and there is an announcement. As the voice of Hunger Games announcer, Claudius Templesmith, explains the new rule change that allows both tributes of the same district to become victors, the video pans to each remaining tributes reactions.

First the camera goes to Peeta, or at least, what must be Peeta because he's so wonderfully camouflaged in the muck that it's impossible to make him out. Then it moves to the large boy from District Eleven, who seems indifferent to the rule change but he lifts his eyebrows subtly at the unprecedented change. Then the camera goes to the red-haired girl from District Five, whose face falls slightly at the news; probably because she has nothing to gain from this and it will only make things harder for her. The two tributes from District Two are shown next and they are first surprised, but then extremely joyous; most likely because they believe they will both definitely be the victors now. Lastly, they show Katniss. At first, she seems confused and it takes several seconds for the news to sink in, but when she does realize what this means, her eyes fly open and she yells out into the night.

"_Peeta!"_

Katniss then quickly clamps her hands over her mouth. Rosie can hear a slight echo from her mother's yell.

The teacher walks forwards and stops the tape. No one really makes noises of unhappiness; everyone seems to have had enough of their share of the Games for the day. He then flips on the lights.

"That'll be all for today, class," he says gruffly. "We'll finish up tomorrow then."

* * *

The walk home from school was a rather silent one. Rosie could see that her two best friends were struggling to find something positive to say, maybe comment on her mother's singing, but there were no words. Rosie understood though.

Soon, Rosie found herself alone as she walked through the bustling town square. She contemplated over whether she should delay her arrival home by wondering through a few of the shops but eventually rules against it. What waited for her at home wasn't going to go away with her waiting.

Her mother would most likely be home and even though she probably wouldn't ask her about what she had seen, there would be an odd feeling between them. But as Rosie walked towards her home, she heard multiple voices coming from the front door that was opened slightly.

"Dad…" Rosie mumbled to herself as she recognized the voice.

A smile was instantly brought to her face and she picked up her pace to speed into her house. Standing in the living room next to her mother was her father.

He had aged a bit but he still had his stocky build from his youth. His wavy blond hair was thinner than it had been in the video and there were subtle lines forming around his eyes and mouth. But when he turned to smile at her, it was the same smile from decades ago.

"Rosie!" he called, grinning. "How's my little girl?"

"Good," Rosie said as she quickly set her bag down on a chair before she accepted her father's hug. "How was the trip?"

"Oh it was alright," he said with a sigh, letting her out of the hug but keeping an arm wrapped around her shoulders. "But how have you been?"

"…okay," Rosie said after a slight pause, thinking of everything she had seen today.

"Only okay?" he asked with a small smile and giving her shoulder's a squeeze.

Rosie forced the most sincere smile onto her face before she nodded quickly. Peeta stared down at her for a moment before he seemed to believe her and let her go.

"You should go say hi to your brother, Rosie," Katniss suggested quietly. "I have to speak with your father for a moment."

For a second, Rosie and Katniss's eyes locked and in that very brief moment, Rosie could have sworn that her mother gave the tiniest nod possible and Rosie felt her stomach drop. She knew that her mother would be telling her father what had happened at school today.

"Go on," Katniss said with a smile. "I'm sure he's missed you."

"Yeah right," Rosie scoffed as she made her way to the stairs, trying her best to stay calm. "I'm sure he missed me like a sickness."

As Rosie made her way up the stairs, she looked back at her mother. Katniss noticed her and gave her another microscopic look that probably meant something along the lines of 'I have to tell him and you can't stop me'. Rosie sighed heavily as she made her way up the rest of the stairs.

Her brother's room was across the hall from her own and the door was wide open. She could see him, standing hunched over his open suitcase as he tossed things randomly around his room. Rosie leaned against the door frame for a moment, watching her brother rummage around, before she spoke up, causing him to jump.

"You know, maybe your room would be cleaner if you used the closet instead of the floor to hold your clothes."

"Like your room is that clean," he growled back, a pale blush forming on his cheeks.

"Cleaner than this pig sty."

Arum Mellark glared at his older sister before he stuck out his tongue at her. Rosie quickly did the same. They stayed that way for a moment before they both cracked grins and let out a small laugh.

The thirteen-year-old had his father's wavy blond hair but his mother's sharp grey eyes. He was less than an inch shorter than Rosie and she just knew he couldn't wait for the day when he finally grew taller than her. He didn't smile all that often but when he did, it was a rather large goofy smile.

Her brother was named for one of the many flowers that her father had planted around the house. Their parents always said that the day he was born, the flower bloomed but Rosie was never very sure that the story was true.

"So how was District One?" Rosie asked casually, taking a step inside his room.

"Fancy," Arum answered as he continued to dig through his luggage. "Too fancy. It stinks."

"Did you like any of the art you saw?" Rosie asked as she walked over to a semi-clean spot on his bed and sat down on it.

"Oh yeah. It was nice. The people just suck is all."

"Why?"

"They're just so snooty and think they're all badass and better than you. But the moment dad comes behind me and they learn who I am, they start kissing my ass and it's really annoying."

"Oh," Rosie said.

Rosie stared down at his blue bed-spread and began to quietly pick at a tiny hole. She didn't realize that her brother had stopped digging for whatever he was looking for and turned his attention on her.

"What's the matter?" he asked, causing Rosie to jump slightly.

Rosie looked up at her younger brother and sighed after a moment. She knew he knew what was the matter. They had talked about it plenty before he had left a few days ago.

"How was it?" he asked.

"…weird," Rosie said at first. "And really, really horrible."

"Why weird?"

"Because I saw mom and dad when they were my age, duh," she said, rolling her blue eyes.

"Right…"

"And I saw Haymitch. That was weird too…"

"I bet," Arum mumbled, returning his attention to his suitcase.

"He did a face plant while he was wasted at the reaping ceremony," Rosie commented, hoping it would gain her brother's attention. She really needed someone to talk to about this.

"I bet that was funny," Arum said with a little smirk.

"Yup."

Rosie stared at her brother for a moment, waiting for him to say something else. After another minute of silence, Arum looked up at her, looking slightly annoyed.

"Look, if you came here looking for someone to pour our heart out to, I'm sorry but I'm not interested."

Rosie set her jaw and glared at the blond teen before she pushed herself up off the bed as gracefully as she could manage. She stood up tall and firm, placing her fists on her hips, before she spoke.

"Just so you know, I _wasn't_ going to _pour my heart out_," she said defensivly, feeling rather annoyed. "I just thought you'd be interested in what I saw today is all. And I thought you'd want to know and _maybe_ I'd let you know since you won't get to see until you're sixteen. I was trying to be nice."

"Ugh," Arum said, rolling his eyes under his thick, wavy bangs, "you're such a horrible liar."

"I am not! And I'm not lying!" Rosie yelled, stomping her foot for emphasis.

"_I wasn't going to pour my heart out_," Arum mimicked in what was a pretty good impression of his sister. "_I just wanted to tell you what I saw. I was just trying to be nice_. Pff, yeah right, you liar."

"Whatever," Rosie grumbled, feeling her face flush with heat. "Your loss. Who'll tell you what happens now?"

"I already know how it ends," Arum scoffed. "It's not like there'll be much of a suspense factor."

"Oh really?" Rosie asked, thinking of how she thought the same thing before she started watching the tape.

"Yeah," Arum growled before he pulled his trump card. "And you know what? I don't really want to hear what it look like when kids kill each other, _sweetheart_."

Anger flared up in Rosie's body. She knew that sweetheart was usually Haymitch's choice of patronizing endearment for her mother. She didn't really know when her brother had begun using this to annoy her but it sure worked on her like it did her mother.

Rosie gave the boy the coldest glare she could muster before gave a small huff and walked out of the room with her head held high; Rosie made sure to slam the door on her way out.

Rosie crossed the hall to her room and collapsed onto her bed. She had wished she would be able to talk to her friends about this but it seemed next to impossible to even carry small talk. She instantly felt a wave of jealously wash over her as she realized that all of her friends would be able to go home, go to their parents, and have a completely non-awkward moment with their parents as they talked about the Games.

But she couldn't. Because no matter what mood her parent's were in or how calmly she asked certain questions, it would never be anything resembling an easy conversation.

Rosie rolled over onto her back and stared up at her ceiling as she willed away the images of the Games that were now burned into her eyes.

_I don't know how mom or dad stands it_… Rosie thought miserably.

* * *

The next morning, Rosie went down to breakfast, hoping and praying that she seemed alright, because she sure as hell didn't feel alright. She couldn't sleep for more than five minutes last night without falling into a death scene of a tribute and waking up in terror. Twice she could have sworn that she even screamed a little and quickly covered her mouth with her hands and listened in the dark for any noise of recognition. No one came to check on her but she had the horrible feeling that one of her parents were up and could hear her as she struggled for sleep.

"Morning," Rosie said brightly with a smile as she sat down in her seat for breakfast.

"Good morning, Rosie," Peeta said, turning to smile back at her.

"How'd you sleep?" Katniss asked as she passed her a plate laden with food.

Instantly Rosie's heart rate increased and she could swear that she was blushing now. Did her mother hear her last night? Did her father? Did Arum hear and decided to tattle on her?

_No,_ Rosie told herself. _Calm down. There was no secret meaning in that. She asks you that all the time. Relax._

"Oh," Rosie said with a shrug as she poured herself an obscene amount of orange juice. "I slept just fine. Same as usual."

The conversation was dropped there and then but Rosie could have sworn that thought out breakfast, her mother kept staring at her but whenever she looked at her mother, Katniss was deeply engrossed in her food or talking to someone else.

She and Arum left at the same time for school, something that happened often. They walked quietly together for a while before they reached the town square and split up to go to meet up with different friends.

Lila was waiting for her outside of her house, looking a little wearier than usual but was still smiling brightly as ever when she greeted her. Cadence also seemed to look worse than her usual self. Maybe everyone had had a rough night.

Rosie's suspicion about everyone having a tough time with the games is confirmed when she reaches her class and see's how subdued everyone is. No one is eager anymore to watch the video; they are only eager to be finished with it all.

The teacher is only slightly taken back when he sees how quiet and uneasy everyone is but doesn't seem to dwell on it. This must happen every year and as he taught here for quite a while, he's probably used to it. He flicks off the lights and starts the video from where it ended yesterday.

The morning after the news, Katniss is shown as she desperately tries to find the wounded tribute. Rosie does find it a little funny she sees her mother's reaction to her father's camouflage. But whatever small amount of enjoyment she got from it is instantly wiped away as she watches her father being pulled to the river and in so much pain. It's odd for Rosie to see her mother try and be a healer to Peeta. Sure, she can clean and then slap a bandage on a small cut but that's about it. Her grandmother is a healer but her mother is definitely not; her mother's said so many times before.

All the girls and nearly all the boys recoil when they see the infected wound. Rosie can see in her mother's scarred eyes that she desperately wants to leave but forces herself to stay. Rosie has to say that she is rather thankful for her mother's embarrassment over nakedness when she forces Peeta to cover up when she goes to clean his underwear. If her mother hadn't made her father cover up, she would have been traumatized for life. Maybe of the girls in the class giggled slightly at Rosie, who blushed and refused to look at the screen until her father was a bit more covered.

They watch as the two find shelter in a cave and settle into their new home. Rosie does get a small warm feeling at seeing her parents together like this, even though she knows how her mother thought it was all an act back then.

Rosie feels her breakfast rise a bit when Katniss checks the infection and sees that it has only gotten worse.

When her mother tells the story of how she had gotten a goat for her sister, she knows some parts are changed because it just doesn't seem like her mother, she only feels sadness. It is obvious how much her sister meant to her and it doesn't make Rosie fell any better.

Then there is the announcement from Claudius Templesmith that there will be a feast. The camera stands to leave Katniss and Peeta for a few moments to show the other remaining tributes. Again, the boy from Eleven seems indifferent while the cruel duo from Two seem excited. This time, the red-haired girl from Five let's a smirk come to her face and she's instantly running off into the night, towards what, no one knows. She eventually reaches the area near the Cornucopia and quietly sneaks forwards and crawls into the depths of the large metal object.

Katniss and Peeta fight and Katniss tries desperately to lie when she says she won't risk her life by going to the feast. Rosie does find a bit of annoyance when Peeta calls her a bad liar; something her brother accused her of being the very night before.

Katniss is then shown receiving sleep syrup from a silver parachute. At first, Rosie doesn't understand what the point of the medicine will be or why Katniss is mixing the medicine with berries. But once Katniss begins to tell Peeta they're something called 'Sugar Berries' Rosie realizes what he mother plans to do. Her father unfortunately realizes that she's lying a bit too late and soon succumbs to the sleep syrup.

"_Who can't lie, Peeta?"_

* * *

**I love Arum. :) I wish I knew one of their father's names or something but... oh well. The flower was pretty.**

**So, I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be the last chapter for this story but who knows. There be five chapters. :)**

**Please send me a review so I can get some feedback and I'll try and update as soon as I can.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-FSK**


	4. The End

**Um... hi... _really_ sorry about this not updating in forever thing. Let's just get my excuses out in the open right now and say that I've been sick for over two months (still am), the first two weeks of this month and in February and January, I was super freaking busy with school, and I had some writers block. And I was just kinda taking a break but now I'm back and I will hopefully be updating more regularly now** .

**But here is the last chapter of HIstory Lesson and I hope you all enjoy it! I'd like to thank my editor, Dani, for her help on this little story.**

**Hope you all like it. :)**

* * *

At the center of the screen is the Cornucopia, gleaming slightly as the first rays of light shine on it. The camera pans to look at the remaining tributes huddled around at their own strategic point. Katniss is shown crouched at the edge of the forest. Cato and Clove are seen several meters away from Katniss, also hiding at the edge of the forest. Thresh is seen lying low near his lair of tall grass that no one else has dared entered. Lastly, the girl from District Five is seen, standing inside the Cornucopia, smiling a wolfish girl.

The table rose from the ground right in front of the Cornucopia. On the table sat four backpacks of varying size, each bearing a different number. The red-haired girl rushed out of the Cornucopia, grabbed her pack, and fled into the woods before anyone could really register what had happened.

Katniss lurches forwards, knowing she needed to go next. Clove ran after her and sent a knife her way, but it was deflected with Katniss's bow. In a fluid motion, she turned and shot an arrow at Clove which landed in her upper arm. Everyone in the class flinched or gasped at the sight, but Clove barely gave it more than a moments glance before she rippped the arrow from her arm with a painful grunt and continued on after Katniss, who had reached the table.

Rosie flinched when the next arrow thrown at her grazed her mothers forehead and a waterfall of blood fell on her face. She forced herself to keep her scream of warning when Clove tackled her to ground. Rosie's blood went cold when she saw the amount of knives that were inside the sadistic girl's jacket.

"_Forget it District Twelve. We're going to kill you. Just like we did your pathetic little ally…what was her name again? Rue? Well, first Rue, then you, and then I think we'll just let nature take care of Lover Boy?"_

The camera moved to Thresh's hiding place. His eyes widened slightly at the statement made by Clove, but he continued to stay put. Seemingly waiting for the right moment.

Katniss spit blood and saliva at Cloves face, washing away her evil grin. While she was distracted, Thresh got up and began running towards her. Just as the knife meet Katniss's flesh, Clove was forced up by one of Thresh's large arms. She flailed around but Thresh never showed any strain; it was like she didn't weigh more than a doll does to him.

"_What'd you do to the little girl? You kill her?"_

"_Cato!"_ Clove screeched out in desperation while Thresh interrogated her. Cato responded but everyone could sense he was too far away.

Rosie turned away as she saw the large rock in Thresh's hand come down towards Cloves temple. Rosie didn't look back until she was sure the camera was pointed at someone besides the dying girl.

"_What'd she mean? About you and Rue being an ally?"_

"_I-I... we teamed up,"_ Katniss said, looking like a dear caught in headlights. _"Blew up the supplies. I tried to save her, I did. But he got there first. District One."_

"_And you killed him?"_

"_Yes. Killed him. And buried her in flowers. And I sang her to sleep."_

Rosie's heart wrenched at her mother's pitiful voice. It was very clear that she blamed herself for Rue's death. She was surprised to see tears in her grey eyes.

Every student in class could see the conflict on the boys face. He lowered the rock that had been used to kill Clove and pointed it at Katniss. When he spoke, he said something no one in the class expected.

"_Just this one time. I let you go. For the little girl. You and me, we're even then. No more owed. You understand?"_

Katniss nodded quickly.

"_Clove!" _Cato cried as he ran closer to the group.

"_You better run now, Fire Girl."_

Katniss pushed herself up and ran as fast as she could towards the forest. Thresh grabbed both backpacks labeled Eleven and Two before running off into his own area of safety. Katniss rushed to the cave, blood rushing down her face from her cut, looking like a wild, wounded animal. Once she reached the cave, the hypodermic needle was torn from the small, orange bag and was thrust into Peeta's flesh. Katniss hand fluttered to her wound before she collapsed on the floor of the cave.

The video stopped there. Rosie's teacher had turned off the tape and was now flickering on the lights.

"Get to lunch," he called loudly over the scuffling and groaning of teenagers. "We'll finish it when we get back."

* * *

Once her half an hour lunch break ended, Rosie, her friends, and her classmates made their way back to the classroom so that they could see how the horrid tale comes to an end. Rosie was happy to see the end of this all and she was sure she was not the only one. Many students left the classroom earlier looking pale and seemed rather upset when the bell rung, signifying the end of their break form the torture.

Even the teacher seemed ready to end this all as he slowly turned the lights off, restarted the tape, and collapsed ungracefully in his chair. It was then that Rosie realized he probably watched this Game as it aired. He had to be in his forties and Rosie didn't think he came from District Twelve. Maybe he was friends with a tribute of this tape, or just knew one of them. If that was the case, this could be torture for him as well.

The video showed Cato as he chased after Thresh at top speed in to the field. Thresh was yards and yards ahead of him but he is still spotted above the grass, being so tall. Cato yelled and cursed at Thresh, but Thresh continued on, seemingly knowing where ever small hole, patch of mud, and rock was. Cato, however, did not know where anything was and stumbled many times, sometimes even falling into a pool of muddy water.

"_Get back here District Eleven_!" he cursed as he chases Thresh.

As Thresh ran on, he opened the pack labeled with the large number two and saw the odd mesh flesh color material in. He paused for a moment to feel the fabric, confusion written across his face. He moved on when he heard the loud stomping footsteps of Cato. Thresh slid down a very steep incline before rushing into a tiny hole in the side of the incline; it looked man made. It was only a little bigger than Thresh's body, when curled up into a ball, but it was also hidden partially by tall grasses.

Cato stopped at the top of the hill and stared down at the land beneath it. When he couldn't see Thresh, he bared his teeth, the veins in his neck bulged, and his fists clench tightly as possible. He yelled out an insanely loud yell of frustration before he picked up a log nearby and chucked it about fifty feet in front of him.

"_I'll find you, you dirty rotten peasant!"_ he screamed as another tantrum came to him and he begun to throw everything within distance. "_There won't be anything left of you when I find you!"_

Cato stared down at the gully below for a moment before he pulled out a thick blade from the belt on his waist and then proceeded to slide down the hill after Thresh. Cato angrily swung his blade around at the tall grass for a while, cutting it down into half its original size. When he finally seemed to be regaining some sanity, he stopped swinging around his blade and listened to the sounds around him, probably hoping to hear Thresh running about. After a few moments of this, he gave up and ran forwards. His hunt for Thresh has started.

The video now goes from showing clips of Cato as he hunts Thresh while Thresh evades Cato and of Peeta and Katniss while they display what appears to be a budding romance. Rosie almost forget that there are in fact five players still in the game since the girl from Five seemed to have all but disappeared. Either that or whatever she's doing isn't interesting enough to get air time.

Days go by with this sequence of events until the video shows the final showdown of Cato and Thresh.

Cato found his bag and whatever was inside of it appeared to be some state-of-the-art body armor. Somehow, Rosie thought this was close to cheating but there really aren't any rules when it comes to the games.

Thresh is beat and bloody while Cato has a horrible arrogant air about him before he deals Thresh's body the final blow: a horrible stab to the neck by his long, horrible blade.

Rosie can hardly take the sight of the once strong teen as he lay on the ground, bloody and dead. One girl in the front of the room had to leave the room for a moment. Rosie doesn't blame her for it; she too would like to leave at a time like this but for some reason just can't get out of her seat.

The camera now focuses more on Katniss and Peeta now that blood has been drawn. The class watched as Katniss struggled with the death of Thresh, saying how she wanted him to win. There's more romance that Rosie finds slightly embarrassing before the torrential downpour that has imprisoned them in their cave let's up and they are free to go out and hunt.

Rosie felt worried as they walk around in the woods, expecting Cato to appear at any moment to kill them. But of course, he doesn't show. While the two hunt and gather, the girl from Five is shown, sneaking stealthily around their bags before she steals small portions of cheese and some berries. She manages to sneak off before Katniss or Peeta sees her. Rosie realizes now that the girl's strategy isn't offensive at all and that the girl must be rather intelligent.

Unfortunately for her, Peeta's incompetence is her own downfall. She appeared as if she's choking for a moment, clutching her neck and turning a little red then blue, before she fell to the ground, spasms a few times, and then dies. A canon is fired, alerting Katniss and Peeta who are only a few yards away from her.

The next day, there is a tense mood to the video. Everyone in the class can sense the end to this horrible tale and only hoped that it will be quick. Unfortunately for them, the end will be long and grueling.

The water in the rivers and the ponds have been drained, which forced Katniss and Peeta to the lake where they knew Cato would be. But when they arrived, they were surprised that he was not there.

He's seen barreling through the woods as a pack of odd-looking dogs chased him. When he reached the flat area outside the forest, he was instantly hit with an arrow from Katniss that bounced off him. He hardly gave it a seconds notice.

"_He's got some sort of body armor on!" _Katniss yells as Cato ran past them.

The odd dogs broke through the forest and Katniss and Peeta finally understood Cato's peculiar behavior. Katniss took off running towards the Cornucopia, leaving Peeta alone to hobble along in her dust. Once she reached it, she remembered Peeta and ran back to help him.

Once the three had reached the Cornucopia and had climbed on top of it, the horrible dog-like mutations began to circle them and lunge for them. A blond mutt managed to jump onto the Cornucopia but it was soon killed by one of Katniss's arrows.

"_It's her!"_ she cried.

"_Who?"_ Peeta asked.

Katniss seemed to be in her own world as she stared at the mutts, terrified. Rosie could see there was something off about the mutts, besides their obvious blood-lust and large size, but she couldn't seem to put her finger on it.

"_What is it, Katniss?"_

"_It's them. It's all of them. The others. Rue and Foxface and… all of the other tributes."_

A chill ran up Rosie's spine as she realized what was wrong with the mutts. Their eyes. They appeared more human than canine.

A mutt managed to lung and grab Peeta. He hacked away at it with his small knife until it let go of him. Cato, finally back to normal again, grabbed Peeta and began to choke him. Katniss is clearly put in a horrible position while she tried to think of a way to kill Cato without knocking Peeta over the edge as well. Eventually, Peeta thought of a way to knock him off and Katniss shoots. Cato fell to the ground below and Katniss managed to grab Peeta before he fell off too.

No one is watching at this point. Who would want to? Rosie knows that Cato is slowly being pulled apart by the mutts while he tries to fight them off. She glances at the teacher, who looks like he's struggling with something. Maybe he's thinking if he should just skip over this part. Several people run from the room, no longer caring if they appear weak or scared. Rosie somehow manages to stay in her seat but covers her ears and places her head on the table. The noises are muffled but she can still hear some cries that make her want to puke.

Rosie only looked up when she heard the very distinct sound of a canon going off, signifying Cato's death. The mutts disappeared into a hole.

"_What are they waiting for?"_ Peeta asked weakly once they've managed to go back to the lake.

"_I don't know_," Katniss said.

"_Greetings to the final contestants of the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games," _The announcer Claudius Templesmith said. His voice boomed around the arena like he was yelling into a megaphone._ "The earlier revision has been revoked. Closer examination of the rule book has disclosed that only one winner may be allowed. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor."_

Everyone in the class knew this was coming. Ever child in Panem knows how the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games ends but watching it is another thing. Peeta and Katniss try and tell the other why they should be the one to survive, but everyone in the classroom is waiting for the berries to be pulled out.

Katniss looked down at the bag of berries and pulls them out. Peeta clamped a hand on her wrist, stopping her.

"_No, I won't let you."_

"_Trust me," she _whispered giving him a hard look. She places some in each of their hands._ "On the count of three?"_

"_The count of three." _He kisses her before standing back to back with her. _"Hold them out. I want everyone to see."_

"_One."_

Rosie can see the conflicting emotions play out on Katniss's face. Her mind was probably going at a million miles an hour right now.

"_Two."_

Both of their hands were shaking very slightly.

"_Three!"_

They both shove the berries in their mouths. Then the trumpets blare and the horrible frantic voice of Claudius Templesmith was heard again.

"_Stop, stop! Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victors of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark! I give you- the tributes of District Twelve!"_

There is applause and then the screen stopped as the teacher stops the video. Everyone in the class seemed to let out a sigh of relief while the teacher went outside for a moment to announce to those still outside that it was over. He pushed the television out of the way before he took its place.

He pinched the bridge of his nose while letting out a deep sigh. He then rubbed his eyes before retuning to his usual, calm self. Rosie shared a brief glance with her friends, surprised at the man's reaction, before she turns to look back at him.

"That'll be all for today. Next week, we'll be discussing the rebellion that came from the actions of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games. You're dismissed."

* * *

Rosie walked home quietly with Cadence and Lila again. Cadence suggested they hang out over the weekend but Rosie doesn't think she'd be up to it. Watching the horrible tape had taken more out of her than she had expected.

As she entered the town square, someone tapped her on the shoulder. Rosie turned around, surprised to see Arum.

"Oh, hi," Rosie mumbled.

"What is up with you, you space case?" he asked, annoyed, knocking lightly on her skull. "I was calling you for the past five minutes."

"You were?"

"Idiot," he grunted, readjusting his pack.

"Don't call me an idiot!"

"Well then what should I call you? Because seriously, sometimes you're just so damn spacey I even wonder if you have a brain in that hollow shell of a skull."

Rosie rolled her eyes at him before giving his ear a small flick with her fingers.

"Ow!"

"You should show more respect to an older sibling."

"Why?"

Rosie gave him a stern look for a moment before redirecting her attention to the road. Arum gave her an odd look that she did not see before he shrugged his shoulders and continued on silently next to his sister. Rosie waved a small hello to Haymitch as they passed him, seeming to be not so drunk, before she entered her own house.

Rosie ran up to her room, closed the door, and fell onto her bed. When she closed her eyes, all she could see were innocent children dying, one after another. Her eyes flew open before she forced herself back up, and shook her head furiously. She did not want to think about those deaths for another second. Rosie forced herself to look out the window and try to focus on something nice. Like the dandelions that were blooming in her backyard. For some reason, those little weeds make my mother smile and that made her smile.

But when she thought of her mother… she couldn't help but think of her teenaged self as she killed, fled from death, and fought to save her father. How was she supposed to get over this when one look at her family, her own _reflection,_ made her think of the Games?

* * *

Rosie couldn't remember dinner at all. Not what they ate. Or what anyone said to her. What anyone said at all. She had tried her best to appear normal while also averting her eyes from everyone at the table. She was too deep in thought and was afraid that if she looked at her parent's, horrible thoughts of the Games would come back to her. The only thing she remembered was Arum giving her a swift kick from under the table. She looked at him covertly from through her black bangs.

'_What?'_ She remembers mouthing to him.

Rosie was pretty sure he had mouthed back _'what is the matter with you?'_ but she couldn't be too sure with the state she was in. Was it that obvious that she was in distress?

Now, she lay in her bed, staring at the cream colored ceiling as birds twittered outside her window. It was rather late for her to be still in bed, even on a weekend, but she wanted to wait until everyone had left the house or at least the kitchen before she got up.

_I'll just spend that day outside today_, Rosie reasoned as she forced down a quick breakfast. _I'll just stay out of the house and away from my parents or anyone who'll remind me of … that._

Once she was dressed, Rosie left the house, planning on spending the day in the meadow with a nice book. It always relaxed her. But before she could even get off her street, a voice called out to her.

"Rosie!"

She froze in her place for a moment before she reasoned that it would be impossible to just ignore the person.

_Please just be wasted…_

But when Rosie turned to see Haymitch, standing in the doorway of his house, he was unmistakably sober. His grey eyes were clearly focused on her and for once, he didn't reek of alcohol and body odder. She had rarely ever seen him this sober before.

_Why are you sober? _She wanted to cry._ Why? At a time like this when I don't want to talk to anyone? Especially not someone like you._

"Come here for a moment," he said, gesturing over his shoulder. "I wanna talk to you for a second."

"But I have to-" Rosie began franticly.

"It won't take long. Just get in here."

Rosie sighed, defeated, before she walked forwards and into his house. It was messy, alcohol bottle everywhere except the trash and dirty dishes stacked high in the sink, but it lacked its usual smell of unwashed clothes and sweat. Someone must have been here recently to clean.

He gestures for her to sit down at the table. It's surprisingly clear of its usual clutter.

"So… what's up?" Rosie asked nervously; she had only been inside his house alone a few times. And it was usually just to help him for a moment.

"I heard you watched the Games in school."

Rosie flinched slightly, not wanting to discuss it. Just the mention of it has begun to crumple the weak wall she made in her mind.

"I know. It's not pretty. That's why I am the way I am today," he said with a sad chuckle.

Rosie's eyes open wide in shock. Would she end up like this too? A drunk with no family because she watched it?

"Don't worry, sweetheart. You won't be like me because you watched one measly Game," he said as if he could read her mind. "No, I'm like this because I had to watch about twenty-four Games. That and because of the way the government dealt with hazardous victors."

"What do you mean?" Rosie asks, curious.

Haymitch stares at her for a moment, considering, before he shakes his head at her and waves it away.

"Never mind. It's not worth your worry. But anyways, I was wondering how you were dealing with it."

"Oh. I'm fine."

Haymitch scoffs before rolling his eyes at her. He even let's out a chuckle before fixing her with a hard look.

"Wow, I haven't seen someone who's that bad of a liar since your mom."

Rosie gives him a reproachful look but he gives her a questioning look, as if he's waiting for her to say that he's wrong. She doesn't though. Instead, she gives up. Rosie let's out a long, hard breath before she turns her attention to her hands.

"Here, let me get you something to drink," Haymitch said as he pushed himself up and over towards the kitchen. When he returns, Rosie's surprised to see a mug of steaming tea. She wasn't aware he had anything besides alcohol in the house.

They sat together awkwardly for a moment, sipping tea, before Haymitch speaks.

"It's horrible isn't it?"

Rosie gives him a shrug, not wanting to speak.

"You're not going to get out of this talk just by ignoring me you know," Haymitch said, sounding annoyed. "I don't have to talk to you, you know. I could let you continue walking around like a zombie."

"Well then why are you doing this?" Rosie asks, becoming angry at Haymitch.

He doesn't answer her. Instead, he folds his arms across his chest before growling, "Just drink you tea and listen up."

Rosie can't help but roll her eyes at him over the rim of her tea cup.

"Now fess up, what's bothering you."

Rosie doesn't answer. Instead, she fixes her stare on a point in the distance, hoping that Haymitch will just let her go. Haymitch lets out a sigh before lowering his voice into a softer tone.

"I'm trying to help you, kid. Just tell me. Is it your parents? Does it bother you to look at them now?"

After a moment, Rosie nods.

"Is there anything else that's bothering you?"

Rosie shrugs at this, not wanting to vocalize what keeps playing whenever she closes her eyes.

"It couldn't possibly be all of those deaths that you had to watch or anything," he grumbled.

Rosie meets his gaze, neither nodding nor shaking her head.

"Well, the country's past is definitely not a pretty one, no matter how you spin it. But the truth is, you have to know about it. You have to see what we had to deal with. It's just the way it is. And many, many more people died than what you watched in school. Dozens of innocent kids were sent to slaughter every year and hundreds and thousands more died trying to fight the government. Just the way it is."

A long silence follows this while Rosie thinks it over.

"Why?" she asks quietly.

"Because most of the time, the government that runs the population, any population, will be cruel and unjust. It's a miracle that we're living like we are today. You just have to be grateful that it wasn't you dying on television and that your parents were able to help stop it all."

Rosie's heart twists at the thought of her parents. She always finds it hard to try and combine the two people who everyone in the nation talks about with the people who feed her everyday and took care of her when she was a baby. They just don't seem to mix. No matter how she tries.

"You can't ignore this. You have to understand that this really did happen. And that it's because of what your mother did that helped to give you the freedom today."

Rosie nods, knowing that what he's saying is true.

"Now, well I don't know how long it will take for you to truly get over it all, but I'm sure it'll go away soon. I mean, look at your parents. Look at any adult in town. Odds are, they had to watch a Game or two, I'm sure they aren't all dwelling on it all the time. It's not good for you."

She nods, looking down at her lap.

"Now, get out of here," Haymitch said, getting up from the table and walking back to the kitchen.

Just as she was about to leave, she saw him leaning against the wall, a bottle of alcohol in hand. Rosie smiled slightly at the sight of it.

"Thanks, Haymitch," she said with a smile.

"Sure, sure, just get outta here. I've been sober for long enough."

Rosie shakes her head slightly before she walks out of the house, closing the door behind her.

"Rosie."

Rosie looked up to see her mother standing in front of her, arms filled with grocery bags. The sight of her is a little startling at first but not nearly as troubling as it had been last night at dinner.

"Talking to Haymitch?"

"Uh, yeah. He just wanted to ask me something…" Rosie mumbled, hoping her mother wouldn't go too much into detail.

"Hmm. Well, could you go put these away?" she asked, gesturing to the bags in her arms. "I just remembered something I wanted to tell Haymitch."

"Oh, alright."

Katniss watched as Rosie ran to their house and through the front door. Once the front door had closed behind her, Katniss walked into Haymitch's house, not bothering to knock.

Haymitch sat at the table, chugging a bottle of clear alcohol, hardly giving Katniss a moment's notice. She waited until he had set down the bottle before she spoke.

"Thanks, Haymitch."

The old man gave her a grunt and a shrug before diving back into the bottle. Katniss rolled her eyes before she walked forwards, ripped the bottle from his fingers, and tossed it to the floor.

"Hey!" he growled, standing up.

"Can you stand to be sober for five minutes?" she asked in disgust.

"Yes I can. I was just sober for about_ three hours_ while I waited for your little brat to come out of the house so I could talk to her like you asked. Now I really need a drink. Leave me alone."

"Fine. Go ahead and poison yourself."

"I will," he said before disappearing back into the kitchen, probably to go get another bottle.

Katniss crossed the street and walked to her own house. She watched for a moment as her daughter put items away, not knowing that she was being watched. Sure, she felt a little weird and a little disappointed with herself that she didn't think that she'd be able to talk to her own child but she didn't think her daughter would be able to take it either. But she had told herself that if she wanted to talk to her, she would.

Katniss smiled slightly at the sight of Rosie jumping surprise once she sees her standing there.

"_Mom!_ Don't do that!" she cried weakly.

"What?" Katniss asks innocently.

"Sneaking up on me like that."

"Sorry, sorry," she said as she walked forwards and helped to put away the last few things. "So, I never got the chance to ask; how was school?"

"Oh, fine. Interesting to say the least," Rosie muttered quietly.

"Hmm, I bet. History can be an interesting thing. Terrifying too."

Rosie turned to look at her mother for a moment, not sure what to do or say. Her mother looked at her too, concern showing in her grey eyes. Rosie let out a shaky breath before she put on a brave face.

"I'll be alright, mom," Rosie said with a smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," she said with a shrug, thinking of what Haymitch had told her. "It was just a history lesson after all. Nothing to worry about."

* * *

**Yeah, I love Haymitch. He's got to be one of my favorite characters from the series.**

**So, I hope you enjoyed my little fanfic. :) I loved writing it.**

**Please leave me a review and I'd like to thank everyone who left me a review for this story. :)**

**~Fun-Sized Kirk**


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